System and Method for Providing Wireless Power Feedback in a Wireless Power Delivery System

ABSTRACT

A wireless power delivery system includes a wireless power source and a control module. The wireless power source provides power to an information handling system. The control module is in communication with the wireless power source, and is configured to detect a presence signal from the information handling system, to set an output power level for the information handling system based on the presence signal, to receive a signal from the information handling system, and to adjust the output power level based on the signal.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure generally relates to information handling systems, andmore particularly relates to a system and method for providing wirelesspower feedback in a wireless power delivery system.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option is an information handling system. An information handlingsystem generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicatesinformation or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Becausetechnology and information handling needs and requirements can varybetween different applications, information handling systems can alsovary regarding what information is handled, how the information ishandled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, andhow quickly and efficiently the information can be processed, stored, orcommunicated. The variations in information handling systems allow forinformation handling systems to be general or configured for a specificuser or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airlinereservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. Inaddition, information handling systems can include a variety of hardwareand software components that can be configured to process, store, andcommunicate information and can include one or more computer systems,data storage systems, and networking systems.

A wireless power delivery system typically includes a wireless chargingpad on to which a device can be placed for charging. The device cancommunicate with the pad via near field communication (NFC) to indicatethat the device available to receive power. The wireless power deliverysystem can then wirelessly transmit power to the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements illustrated in the Figures have not necessarily been drawn toscale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements areexaggerated relative to other elements. Embodiments incorporatingteachings of the present disclosure are shown and described with respectto the drawings presented herein, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless power delivery system;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the wireless power deliverysystem;

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for controlling an amount ofpower provided from the wireless power delivery system;

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method for controlling an amount ofpower received at an information handling system from the wireless powerdelivery system; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a general information handling system.

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicatessimilar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following description in combination with the Figures is provided toassist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The followingdiscussion will focus on specific implementations and embodiments of theteachings. This focus is provided to assist in describing the teachingsand should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope orapplicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainlybe utilized in this application.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless power delivery system 100 for aninformation handling system. For purposes of this disclosure, theinformation handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregateof instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit,receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect,record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment,or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be apersonal computer, a PDA, a consumer electronic device, a network serveror storage device, a switch router or other network communicationdevice, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape,performance, functionality, and price. The information handling systemmay include memory, one or more processing resources such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic. Additionalcomponents of the information handling system may include one or morestorage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating withexternal devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, suchas a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handlingsystem may also include one or more buses operable to transmitcommunications between the various hardware components.

The wireless power delivery system 100 includes a wireless charging pad102 and information handling systems 104 and 106. The wireless chargingpad 102 includes wireless power sources 108 and 110, and antennas 112and 114. The information handling system 104 includes an antenna 116 anda wireless charger 118. The information handling system 106 includes anantenna 120 and a wireless charger 122. The wireless power source 108 isin communication with the antenna 116, which in turn is in communicationwith the antenna 116 of the information handling system 104 and with theantenna 120 of the information handling system 106. The antenna 116 isin communication with the wireless charger 118. The antenna 120 is incommunication with the wireless charger 122.

The wireless charging pad 102 can detect when a device such as one ofthe information handling systems 104 and 106 is placed on top of thewireless charging pad, and can transmit a detect signal in response todetecting the device. For example, the wireless charging pad 102 candetect the information handling system 104 when a light sensor on thewireless charging pad 102 is covered by the information handling system,by a pressure sensor of the wireless charging pad detecting theinformation handling system, by metal tabs of the wireless charging padbeing placed in physical communication with the information handlingsystem, and the like. The information handling system 104 can receivethe detect signal from the wireless charging pad, and can respond bytransmitting a presence signal to the wireless charging pad. Thepresence signal can include a repeating pulse signal, referred to as achirp, and can also include information associated with the informationhandling system 104, such as a class of the information handling system.The class of the information handling system 104 can indicate a maximumpower needed for the information handling system, or the like.

The wireless charging pad 102 can receive the presence signal from theinformation handling system 104, and can then set an initial power levelto be provided from the wireless power source 108 to the informationhandling system. The initial power level can be a minimum power levelavailable from the wireless charging pad 102, can be a maximum powerlevel available from the wireless charging pad, or can be any powerlevel in between the minimum and maximum power levels. The wirelesscharging pad 102 can then transmit the wireless power to the informationhandling system 104 via the antenna 112. The wireless charging pad 102can use one or more techniques to provide power wirelessly, includinginductive techniques, resonant inductive techniques, capacitive transfertechniques, beamed power transfer, such as laser or microwave transfer,or the like. However for purposes of discussion, it is assumed that thewireless charging pad 102 transfers power wirelessly using inductivepower transfer. The antenna 116 of the information handling system 104can receive the wireless power from the antenna 112 and can provide thepower to the wireless charger 118, which in turn can convert the powerto be used by the information handling system 104.

The information handling system 104 can monitor its current operatingconditions and can determine whether to change a power state of theinformation handling system. For example, if the information handlingsystem 104 is receiving the maximum amount of power from the wirelesscharging pad 102 and then the information handling system enters a lowerpower mode, the information handling system can send a power statechange signal to the wireless charging pad 102. The power state changecan indicate a new power state for the information handling system 104.The wireless charging pad 102 can receive the power state change signaland can adjust the power level provided by the wireless power source 108to the information handling system 104, such that a proper power levelis provided to the information handling system without having excesspower that is not used or not having enough power for the informationhandling system. The information handling system 104 can continuallymonitor its operating mode and can provide any necessary state changesignals to the wireless charging pad 102.

The information handling system 106 can also receive the detect signalfrom the wireless charging pad 102 in response to the informationhandling system being placed on top of the wireless charging pad. Theinformation handling system 106 can respond to the detect signal bytransmitting a presence signal similar to the presence signal of theinformation handling system 104 to the wireless charging pad. Thewireless charging pad 102 can receive the presence signal from theinformation handling system 106, and can then set an initial power levelto be provided from the wireless power source 110 to the informationhandling system. The wireless power can then be transmitted from thewireless charging pad 102 to the information handling system 106 via theantenna 114. The antenna 120 can receive the wireless power from theantenna 114 and can provide the power to the wireless charger 122, whichin turn can convert the power to be used by the information handlingsystem 106. The information handling system 106 can monitor itsoperating modes and can provide any necessary state change signals tothe wireless charging pad 102 in a substantially similar fashion as theinformation handling system 104.

In an embodiment, when the wireless charging pad 102 provides wirelesspower to both of the information handling systems 104 and 106, thewireless charging pad can provide equal amounts of power to each of theinformation handling systems, can prioritize which information handlingsystem to provide more power to, or the like. The information handlingsystems 104 and 106 can receive information indicating an amount ofpower to be provided to the information handling system from thewireless charging pad 102, and the like. The information handlingsystems 104 and 106 can utilize this information to determine whetherthe power available from the wireless charging pad 102 is enough tooperate the information handling system at a maximum power operatingmode or if the information handling system should operate in a loweroperating mode. Each of the information handling systems 104 and 106 candynamically adjust its operating mode based on the power available fromthe wireless charging pad 102. Thus, the wireless charging pad 102 andthe information handling systems 104 and 106 can continually providefeedback to each other to adjust the amount of power provided from thewireless charging pad to the information handling systems.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed embodiment of the wireless power deliverysystem 100 including the wireless charging pad 102, the informationhandling system 104, and a plurality of direct current DC sources 206 inmore detail. The wireless charging pad 102 includes a landing pad 220,which in turn includes a source-to-load limit control module 222, athrottle control module 224, an antenna 226, the wireless power source108, and the antenna 112. The antenna 112 is in communication with thewireless power source 108. The wireless power source 108 is incommunication with the source-to-load limit control module 222, which inturn is in communication with the throttle control module 224 and withthe antenna 226. In an embodiment, the wireless charging pad 102 caninclude multiple landing pads that can each communicate with and providewireless power to different information handling systems. However, forsimplicity only one landing pad of the wireless charging pad 102 hasbeen shown in FIG. 2.

The information handling system 104 includes a battery 230, voltageregulators 232, a host/embedded controller (EC) throttle control module234, a near field communication (NFC) alternative Bluetooth Low Energy(BT LE) antenna 236, and a NFC product Electronic Data Identification(EDID) tag 238, the antenna 116, and the wireless charger 118. Theantenna 116 is in communication with the wireless charger 118, which inturn is in communication with the battery 230, with the voltageregulators 232, and with the host/EC throttle control module 234. Thevoltage regulators 232 can provide multiple regulated voltages todifferent systems loads of the information handling system 104, such asa central processing unit, a memory, a display device, and the like. Thehost/EC throttle control module 234 is in communication with the NFCalternate BT LE antenna 236. The host/EC throttle control module 234 canbe a hardware module, a software module, and/or any combination of ahardware and software module. For example, the host/EC module 234 can bea power management integrated circuit, a power management unit, or thelike. The plurality of DC sources 206 includes an automatic air source240, an alternating current (AC)-to-DC source 242, and a universalserial bus (USB) power source 244. Each of the automatic air source 240,the AC-to-DC converter 242, and the USB power source 244 is incommunication with the wireless power source 108 of the wirelesscharging pad 102.

When the information handling system 104 is placed within a NFC range oflanding pad 220 of the wireless charging pad 102, the NFC product EDIDtag 238 can transmit a presence signal, referred to as a chirp, toindicate that the information handling system is within range of thewireless charging pad. The presence signal can be a repeating pulse thatcan be received by the antenna 226, which in turn can provide thepresence signal to the source-to-load limit control 236. In anembodiment, the presence signal from the NFC product EDID 238 can alsoinclude information about the information handling system 104, such as aclass of the information handling system.

When the source-to-load limit control module 222 receives the presencesignal from the antenna 226, the source-to-load limit control moduledetermines whether another signal is received from the throttle controlmodule 224. If a signal is not received from the throttle control module224, the source-to-load limit control module 222 can set an operationlevel of the wireless charging pad 102 to an initial operation level,such as a minimum level. The source-to-load limit control module 222 cansend the operation level to the wireless power source 108, which canreceive power from one of the DC power sources 206.

The wireless power source 108 can then provide power to the antenna 112,which in turn can wirelessly provide the power to the antenna 116 of theinformation handling system 104. The wireless charging pad 102 can useone or more techniques to provide power wirelessly, including inductivetechniques, resonant inductive techniques, capacitive transfertechniques, beamed power transfer, such as laser or microwave transfer,or the like.

The antenna 116 can receive the wireless power from the antenna 112, andcan provide power to the wireless charger 118. The wireless charger 118can then convert the power received from the antenna 116 to a powersource that can be utilized by the information handling system 104. Thewireless charger 118 can either supply the converted power to thebattery 230 or the voltage regulators 232. The power provided to thebattery 230 can be used to charge the battery. The power provided to thevoltage regulators 232 can be supplied at proper voltage to theremaining components of the information handling system 104.

The host/EC throttle control module 234 can receive information aboutthe power provided by the wireless charging pad 102 from the wirelesscharger 118. The information can include whether the wireless chargingpad 102 is compatible with the wireless charger converter, a totalamount of power that the wireless charging pad is able to provide, orthe like. The host/EC throttle control module 234 can also determineinformation about the information handling system 104, such as apercentage of the battery 230 that is charged, an operation mode of theinformation handling system, and the like.

If the host/EC throttle control module 234 determines that the wirelesscharging pad 102 is not compatible with the class of the informationhandling system 104, the host/EC throttle control module can set a flagto cause the wireless charger 118 not to receive power from the wirelesscharging pad. The host/EC throttle control module 234 can also notifythe user, via a display device, that the information handling system 104is not receiving power from the wireless charging pad 102. If thehost/EC throttle control module 234 determines that the wirelesscharging pad 102 is compatible with the information handling system 104,the host/EC throttle control module 234 can determine an amount of powerthat is available from the wireless charging pad. If the host/ECthrottle control module 234 determines that the maximum amount of poweravailable from the wireless charging pad 102 is less than the amountneeded to operate the information handling system 104 at maximum power,the host/EC throttle control module can modify an operating mode of theinformation handling system, such as operating below the maximum power.For example, the host/EC throttle control module 234 can cause theinformation handling system 104 to enter a standby or low power mode inresponse to determining that the maximum amount of power available fromthe wireless charging pad 102 is substantially less than the amountneeded by the information handling system. The host/EC throttle controlmodule 234 can cause the information handling system 104 to remain inthe low power mode while the battery 230 is charged to a high enoughcapacity to operate the information handling system. In anotherembodiment, the host/EC throttle control module 234 can reduce theoperational mode the information handling system 104, such that thevoltage supplied to the central processing unit, the memory, and othercomponents of the information handling system is reduced.

If the host/EC throttle control module 234 determines that the wirelesscharging pad 102 can provide more power than needed by the informationhandling system for maximum operation power, the host/EC throttlecontrol module can determine a power state needed for the informationhandling system and can send the power state to the throttle controlmodule 224. When the throttle control module 224 receives the powerstate from the host/EC throttle control module 234, the throttle controlmodule can determine an operation level for the wireless charging pad102. The throttle control module 224 can then send the operation levelto the source-to-load limit control module 222, which in turn candetermine an amount of power to be provided by the wireless power source108. The source-to-load limit control module 222 can send a signal tothe wireless power source 108 to set the power level for the wirelesspower source to provide to the information handling system 104 via theantenna 112.

The wireless charger 118 can receive power from the antenna 116 and canprovide the power to either the battery 230 or the voltage regulators232. While the information handling system 104 is receiving power fromthe wireless charging pad 102, the host/EC throttle control module 234can continually monitor the operational mode of the information handlingsystem 104 and can adjust the power state provided to the throttlecontrol module 224. For example, the information handling system 104 mayoperate in a maximum power mode, and may switch to a low power mode suchthat the information handling system does not need the same amount ofpower. The power state can indicate the amount of power to be providedto the information handling system 104. In this situation, the host/ECthrottle control module 234 can determine a new power state and send thenew power state to the throttle control module 224, which in turn canadjust the operation level of the wireless charging pad 102. The changein the operation level of the wireless charging pad 102 can result in achange in the amount of power provided to the information handlingsystem 104.

If the wireless charging pad 102 cannot provide the amount of powerrequested by the host/EC throttle control module 234 or any amount ofpower to the information handling system 104, the wireless charging padcan send information to the host/EC throttle control module 234 toindicate the current power available. The host/EC throttle controlmodule 234 can then set a flag to indicate that a certain amount ofpower cannot be received from the wireless charging pad 102. The host/ECthrottle control module 234 can also set a flag when the battery 230 isfully charged. The host/EC throttle control module 234 can then sendinformation to the throttle control module 224 to indicate that theinformation handling system 104 does not currently need power from thewireless charging pad 102.

When the information handling system 104 is no longer in communicationwith the wireless charging pad 102, the host/EC throttle control module234 can clear any flags set. Thus, if the information handling system104 begins to communicate with the wireless charging pad 102 again, thecommunication and setup between host/EC throttle control module 234 andthe throttle control module 224 can restart as described above. Inanother embodiment, when the information handling system 104 is nolonger in communication with the wireless charging pad 102, the host/ECthrottle control module 234 can continue to maintain the flag indicatingthat the battery 230 is fully charged until a point in time, if any,that the battery becomes less than fully charged.

In an embodiment, the throttle control module 224 can detect thatanother information handling system, such as the information handlingsystem 106 of FIG. 1, has been placed in communication with a differentlanding pad of the wireless charging pad 102. The throttle controlmodule can determine that the other information handling system has ahigher priority than the information handling system 104, such that thewireless charging pad 102 provides the other information handling systemwith a certain amount of power before providing the information handlingsystem 104 with power. In this situation, the throttle control module224 may reduce the amount of power available to the information handlingsystem 104. The throttle control module 224 can also send informationindicating the reduced amount of power to the host/EC throttle controlmodule 236, so that the host/EC throttle control module can modify theoperational mode of the information handling system 104 based on thereduced amount of power available. Therefore, the information handlingsystem 104 and the wireless charging pad 102 can provide feedback to oneanother indicating the amount of power available, any power statechanges, or the like to enable the wireless charging pad to dynamicallyprovide a proper amount of power to the information handling system.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the wireless power delivery system100 including the wireless charging pad 102, the information handlingsystem 104, and the information handling system 106 in more detail. Thewireless charging pad 102 includes the same components and operates insubstantially the same manner as described in FIGS. 1 and 2, but forsimplicity only the wireless power source 108 and the antenna 112 havebeen shown. The antenna 112 is in communication with the wireless powersource 108, which in turn is in communication with the source-to-loadlimit control module 222.

The information handling system 104 includes a wireless charging pad 302having a wireless power source 304, an antenna 306, a source-to-loadlimit control module 308, a throttle control module 310, and an antenna312. The information handling system 104 also includes the samecomponents but for simplicity only the antenna 116, the wirelessconverter 118, the host/EC throttle control module 234, and the antenna236 have been shown. The information handling system 106 includes abattery 314, voltage regulators 316, a host/EC throttle control module318, a NFC alternative BT LE antenna 320, and a NFC product EDID tag322, the antenna 120, and the wireless charger 122. The antenna 120 isin communication with the wireless charger 122, which in turn is incommunication with the battery 314, with the voltage regulators 316, andwith the host/EC throttle control module 318. The voltage regulators 316can provide multiple regulated voltages to different systems loads ofthe information handling system 106, such as a central processing unit,a memory, a display device, and the like. The host/EC throttle controlmodule 318 is in communication with the NFC alternate BT LE antenna 320.The host/EC throttle control module 318 can be a hardware module, asoftware module, and/or any combination of a hardware and softwaremodule. For example, the host/EC module 318 can be a power managementintegrated circuit, a power management unit, or the like.

When the information handling system 106 is placed within a NFC range ofa landing pad of the wireless charging pad 302, the NFC product EDID tag322 can transmit a presence signal, referred to as a chirp, to indicatethat the information handling system 106 is within range of the wirelesscharging pad 302 of the information handling system 104. The presencesignal can be a repeating pulse that can be received by the antenna 312,which in turn can provide the presence signal to the source-to-loadlimit control 308. In an embodiment, the presence signal from the NFCproduct EDID 322 can also include information about the informationhandling system 106, such as a class of the information handling system.In an embodiment, the wireless charging pad 302 of the informationhandling system 104 can detect the information handling system 106 whena light sensor on the wireless charging pad 302 is covered by theinformation handling system 106, by a pressure sensor of the wirelesscharging pad 302 detecting the information handling system 106, by metaltabs of the wireless charging pad 302 being placed in physicalcommunication with the information handling system 106, and the like.

When the source-to-load limit control module 308 receives the presencesignal from the antenna 312, the source-to-load limit control moduledetermines whether another signal is received from the throttle controlmodule 310. If a signal is not received from the throttle control module310, the source-to-load limit control module 308 can set an operationlevel of the wireless charging pad 302 to an initial operation level,such as a minimum level. The source-to-load limit control module 308 cansend the operation level to the wireless power source 304, which canreceive power from the wireless charger converter 118, the battery 230,and/or the voltage regulators 232.

The wireless power source 304 can then provide power to the antenna 306,which in turn can wirelessly provide the power to the antenna 120 of theinformation handling system 106. The wireless charging pad 302 can useone or more techniques to provide power wirelessly, including inductivetechniques, resonant inductive techniques, capacitive transfertechniques, beamed power transfer, such as laser or microwave transfer,or the like.

The antenna 120 can receive the wireless power from the antenna 306, andcan provide power to the wireless charger 122. The wireless charger 122can then convert the power received from the antenna 120 to a powersource that can be utilized by the information handling system 106. Thewireless charger 122 can either supply the converted power to thebattery 314 or the voltage regulators 316. The power provided to thebattery 314 can be used to charge the battery. The power provided to thevoltage regulators 316 can be supplied at proper voltage to theremaining components of the information handling system 106.

The host/EC throttle control module 318 can receive information aboutthe power provided by the wireless charging pad 302 from the wirelesscharger 122. The information can include whether the wireless chargingpad 302 is compatible with the wireless charger converter 122, a totalamount of power that the wireless charging pad is able to provide, orthe like. The host/EC throttle control module 318 can also determineinformation about the information handling system 106, such as apercentage of the battery 314 that is charged, an operation mode of theinformation handling system, and the like.

If the host/EC throttle control module 318 determines that the wirelesscharging pad 302 is not compatible with the class of the informationhandling system 106, the host/EC throttle control module can set a flagto cause the wireless charger 122 not to receive power from the wirelesscharging pad. The host/EC throttle control module 318 can also notifythe user, via a display device, that the information handling system 106is not receiving power from the wireless charging pad 302 of theinformation handling system 104. If the host/EC throttle control module318 determines that the wireless charging pad 302 is compatible with theinformation handling system 106, the host/EC throttle control module 318can determine an amount of power that is available from the wirelesscharging pad. If the host/EC throttle control module 318 determines thatthe maximum amount of power available from the wireless charging pad 302is less than the amount needed to operate the information handlingsystem 106 at maximum power, the host/EC throttle control module canmodify an operating mode of the information handling system, such asoperating below the maximum power. For example, the host/EC throttlecontrol module 318 can cause the information handling system 106 toenter a standby or low power mode in response to determining that themaximum amount of power available from the wireless charging pad 302 issubstantially less than the amount needed by the information handlingsystem. The host/EC throttle control module 318 can cause theinformation handling system 106 to remain in the low power mode untilthe battery 314 is charged to a high enough capacity to operate theinformation handling system. In another embodiment, the host/EC throttlecontrol module 318 can reduce the operational mode the informationhandling system 106, such that the voltage supplied to the centralprocessing unit, the memory, and other components of the informationhandling system is reduced.

If the host/EC throttle control module 318 determines that the wirelesscharging pad 302 can provide more power than needed by the informationhandling system 106 for maximum operation power, the host/EC throttlecontrol module can determine a power state needed for the informationhandling system and can send the power state to the throttle controlmodule 310. When the throttle control module 310 receives the powerstate from the host/EC throttle control module 318, the throttle controlmodule can determine an operation level for the wireless charging pad302. The throttle control module 310 can then send the operation levelto the source-to-load limit control module 308, which in turn candetermine an amount of power to be provided by the wireless chargerconverter 118. The source-to-load limit control module 308 can send asignal to the wireless power source 304 to set the power level for thewireless power source to provide to the information handling system 106via the antenna 306.

The wireless charger 122 can receive power from the antenna 120 and canprovide the power to either the battery 314 or the voltage regulators316. While the information handling system 106 is receiving power fromthe wireless charging pad 302, the host/EC throttle control module 318can continually monitor the operational mode of the information handlingsystem 106 and can adjust the power state provided to the throttlecontrol module 310. For example, the information handling system 106 mayoperate in a maximum power mode, and may switch to a low power mode suchthat the information handling system does not need the same amount ofpower. The power state can indicate the amount of power to be providedto the information handling system 106. In this situation, the host/ECthrottle control module 318 can determine a new power state and send thenew power state to the throttle control module 310, which in turn canadjust the operation level of the wireless charging pad 302. The changein the operation level of the wireless charging pad 302 can result in achange in the amount of power provided to the information handlingsystem 106.

If the wireless charging pad 302 cannot provide the amount of powerrequested by the host/EC throttle control module 318 or any amount ofpower to the information handling system 106, the wireless charging padcan send information to the host/EC throttle control module 318 toindicate the current power available. The host/EC throttle controlmodule 318 can then set a flag to indicate that a certain amount ofpower cannot be received from the wireless charging pad 302. The host/ECthrottle control module 318 can also set a flag when the battery 314 isfully charged. The host/EC throttle control module 318 can then sendinformation to the throttle control module 310 to indicate that theinformation handling system 106 does not currently need power from thewireless charging pad 302.

When the information handling system 106 is no longer in communicationwith the wireless charging pad 302, the host/EC throttle control module318 can clear any flags set. Thus, if the information handling system106 begins to communicate with the wireless charging pad 302 again, thecommunication and setup between host/EC throttle control module 318 andthe throttle control module 310 can restart as described above. Inanother embodiment, when the information handling system 106 is nolonger in communication with the wireless charging pad 302, the host/ECthrottle control module 318 can continue to maintain the flag indicatingthat the battery 314 is fully charged until a point in time, if any,that the battery becomes less than fully charged.

In an embodiment, the source-to-load limit control module 308 ofwireless charging pad 302 can communicate with the host/EC throttlecontrol module 234 to provide information about the wireless chargingpad to the host/EC throttle control module. For example, the host/ECthrottle control module 234 can receive information indicating theamount of power being provided from the wireless charging pad 302 to theinformation handling system 106, indicating an amount of power requestedby the information handling system 106, or the like. The host/ECthrottle control module 234 can utilize the amount of power requested bythe wireless charging pad 302 to adjust an amount of power requestedfrom the wireless charging pad 102. Thus, a total amount of powerreceived by the information handling system 104 from the wirelesscharging pad 102 can include an amount of power to be provided to thebattery 230 and the other components of the information handling system104, and an amount of power to be provided to the information handlingsystem 106 via the wireless charging pad 302. Therefore, the power stateprovided from the information handling system 104 to the wirelesscharging pad 102 can include a power state of the information handlingsystem 106 combined with the power state of the information handlingsystem 104.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method 400 for controlling an amount ofpower provided from a wireless power delivery system. At block 402, apresence signal is received from an information handling system. Thepresence signal can be received at a wireless charging pad via a nearfield communication (NFC) signal. In an embodiment, the presence signalcan be a signal indicating that the information handling system ispresent, can be the signal combined with a class identifier for theinformation handling system, or the like. The class identifier canindicate a maximum amount of power that the information handling systemneeds during operation. At block 404, a determination is made whether astate change for the information handling system is received, extendedidentification (EDID) information is received, or a second NFC signal isreceived. The EDID can include information about the power requirementsfor the information handling system, such as the maximum power theinformation handling system can receive, a nominal power for theinformation handling system, whether the information handling system ischarging, in a low power mode, whether the an auxiliary battery needs tobe charged, whether the information handling system is in standby mode,or the like.

If a state change, EDID information, and/or a second NFC signal are notreceived, power parameters of the wireless power delivery system arereset and the wireless power delivery system continues to poll theinformation handling system at block 406, and the flow continues asstated above at block 404. The wireless charging pad can provide aminimum power level when the power parameters are reset. If the statechange, EDID information, and/or a second NFC are received, adetermination is made whether an input base source or alternate powersource is available at block 408. If an input base source or analternative power source is not available, then the flow continues asstated above at block 406. If input base source or an alternative powersource is available, then a power state needed for the informationhandling system is set at block 410.

At block 412, the new power state is used to drive a wireless poweroperation level of the wireless charging pad of the wireless powerdelivery system. A local wireless power time event is set at block 414,and then the flow returns to block 412 when the time event expires. Thetimer event can be a length of time to provide power the informationhandling system in the wireless power operation level. At block 416, adetermination is made whether a power level of the wireless powerdelivery system needs to be increased based on the wireless poweroperation level. If the power level needs to be increased, the operationlevel is increased at block 418, and a determination is made whether thepower level is at a maximum at block 420. In an embodiment, adjustingthe operation level directly adjusts the power level provided by thewireless charging pad. If the operation level is not at a maximum theflow continues as state above at block 416. If the operation level is atthe maximum, the control of the wireless power delivery system isupdated based on the power level maximum being reached at block 422, andthe flow continues as stated above at block 410.

However, if the power level does not need to be increased, the operationlevel of the wireless power delivery system is decreased at block 424.At block 426, a determination is made whether a minimum operation levelof the wireless delivery system is reached. If the operation level isnot at a minimum the flow continues as state above at block 416. If theoperation level is at the minimum, the control of the wireless powerdelivery system is updated based on the power level minimum beingreached at block 422, and the flow continues as stated above at block410.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method 500 for controlling an amount ofpower to be received at an information handling system from a wirelesspower delivery system. At block 502, a determination is made whetherwireless power is enabled in the information handling system. Whenwireless power is enabled a determination is made whether a validwireless power source, such as a wireless charging pad, is available atblock 504. If a valid wireless power source is not available, then theflow continues as stated above at block 502. If a valid wireless powersource is available, a determination is made whether the informationhandling system is in bypass mode at block 506. If the informationhandling system is in bypass mode, then a minimum power level for theinformation handling system is set based on the information handlingsystem being in a bypass mode at block 508. At block 510, adetermination is made whether a stable host power is detected for theinformation handling system. If a stable power is not detected, the flowcontinues as stated above at block 508. If a stable power is detected,the flow continues as stated above at block 506.

If the information handling system is not in the bypass mode, a powerstate of a needed power level is set at block 512. At block 514, analternate near field communication (NFC) antenna is engaged and a powerstate is transmitted to the wireless charging pad. A local wirelesspower time event is set at block 516, and then the flow returns to block514 when the time event expires. The timer event can be a length of timeto provide power the information handling system in the wireless poweroperation level. At block 518, an operating mode of the informationhandling system is changed. A determination is made whether a powerstate change is needed at block 520. When a power state change isneeded, a new power state is determined at block 522, and the flowcontinues as stated above at block 512.

In parallel to the determination whether a power state change is neededat block 520, a determination is made whether a presence signal isdetected at 422. The presence signal can be detected in a wirelesscharging pad of the information handling system, and the presence signalcan be received from another information handling system. When thepresence signal is detected, the information handling system can performthe flow described above at FIG. 4 to determine the power requirementfor the new information handling system and to provide the newinformation handling system with power. The information handling systemcan then determine a new power state at block 424 and continue asdescribed above at block 512. The new power state can be based on thepower requirement of both the information handling system and the newinformation handling system that the information handling systemprovides power to.

As shown in FIG. 6, the information handling system 600 can include afirst physical processor 602 coupled to a first host bus 604 and canfurther include additional processors generally designated as n^(th)physical processor 606 coupled to a second host bus 608. The firstphysical processor 602 can be coupled to a chipset 610 via the firsthost bus 604. Further, the n^(th) physical processor 606 can be coupledto the chipset 610 via the second host bus 608. The chipset 610 cansupport multiple processors and can allow for simultaneous processing ofmultiple processors and support the exchange of information withininformation handling system 600 during multiple processing operations.

According to one aspect, the chipset 610 can be referred to as a memoryhub or a memory controller. For example, the chipset 610 can include anAccelerated Hub Architecture (AHA) that uses a dedicated bus to transferdata between first physical processor 602 and the n^(th) physicalprocessor 606. For example, the chipset 610, including an AHAenabled-chipset, can include a memory controller hub and an input/output(I/O) controller hub. As a memory controller hub, the chipset 610 canfunction to provide access to first physical processor 602 using firstbus 604 and n^(th) physical processor 606 using the second host bus 608.The chipset 610 can also provide a memory interface for accessing memory612 using a memory bus 614. In a particular embodiment, the buses 604,608, and 614 can be individual buses or part of the same bus. Thechipset 610 can also provide bus control and can handle transfersbetween the buses 604, 608, and 614.

According to another aspect, the chipset 610 can be generally consideredan application specific chipset that provides connectivity to variousbuses, and integrates other system functions. For example, the chipset610 can be provided using an Intel® Hub Architecture (IHA) chipset thatcan also include two parts, a Graphics and AGP Memory Controller Hub(GMCH) and an I/O Controller Hub (ICH). For example, an Intel 820E, an815E chipset, or any combination thereof, available from the IntelCorporation of Santa Clara, Calif., can provide at least a portion ofthe chipset 610. The chipset 610 can also be packaged as an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The information handling system 600 can also include a video graphicsinterface 622 that can be coupled to the chipset 610 using a third hostbus 624. In one form, the video graphics interface 622 can be anAccelerated Graphics Port (AGP) interface to display content within avideo display unit 626. Other graphics interfaces may also be used. Thevideo graphics interface 622 can provide a video display output 628 tothe video display unit 626. The video display unit 626 can include oneor more types of video displays such as a flat panel display (FPD) orother type of display device.

The information handling system 600 can also include an I/O interface630 that can be connected via an I/O bus 620 to the chipset 610. The I/Ointerface 630 and I/O bus 620 can include industry standard buses orproprietary buses and respective interfaces or controllers. For example,the I/O bus 620 can also include a Peripheral Component Interconnect(PCI) bus or a high speed PCI-Express bus. In one embodiment, a PCI buscan be operated at approximately 66 MHz and a PCI-Express bus can beoperated at more than one speed, such as 2.5 GHz and 4 GHz. PCI busesand PCI-Express buses can be provided to comply with industry standardsfor connecting and communicating between various PCI-enabled hardwaredevices. Other buses can also be provided in association with, orindependent of, the I/O bus 620 including, but not limited to, industrystandard buses or proprietary buses, such as Industry StandardArchitecture (ISA), Small Computer Serial Interface (SCSI),Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C), System Packet Interface (SPI), orUniversal Serial buses (USBs).

In an alternate embodiment, the chipset 610 can be a chipset employing aNorthbridge/Southbridge chipset configuration (not illustrated). Forexample, a Northbridge portion of the chipset 610 can communicate withthe first physical processor 602 and can control interaction with thememory 612, the I/O bus 620 that can be operable as a PCI bus, andactivities for the video graphics interface 622. The Northbridge portioncan also communicate with the first physical processor 602 using firstbus 604 and the second bus 608 coupled to the n^(th) physical processor606. The chipset 610 can also include a Southbridge portion (notillustrated) of the chipset 610 and can handle I/O functions of thechipset 610. The Southbridge portion can manage the basic forms of I/Osuch as Universal Serial Bus (USB), serial I/O, audio outputs,Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), and ISA I/O for the informationhandling system 600.

The information handling system 600 can further include a diskcontroller 632 coupled to the I/O bus 620, and connecting one or moreinternal disk drives such as a hard disk drive (HDD) 634 and an opticaldisk drive (ODD) 636 such as a Read/Write Compact Disk (R/W CD), aRead/Write Digital Video Disk (R/W DVD), a Read/Write mini-Digital VideoDisk (R/W mini-DVD), or other type of optical disk drive.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailin the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure.For example, the methods described in the present disclosure can bestored as instructions in a computer readable medium to cause aprocessor, such as chipset 610, to perform the method. Additionally, themethods described in the present disclosure can be stored asinstructions in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as ahard disk drive, a solid state drive, a flash memory, and the like.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as defined in thefollowing claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses areintended to cover the structures described herein as performing therecited function and not only structural equivalents, but alsoequivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless power delivery system comprising: awireless power source to provide power to an information handlingsystem; and a control module in communication with the wireless powersource, the control module configured to detect a presence signal fromthe information handling system, to set an output power level for theinformation handling system based on the presence signal, to receive apower state signal from the information handling system, and to adjustthe output power level based on the power state signal.
 2. The wirelesspower delivery system of claim 1 further comprising: an antenna incommunication with the wireless power source, the antenna to wirelesslytransmit the power to the information handling system.
 3. The wirelesspower delivery system of claim 1 further comprising: an antenna incommunication with the control module, the antenna to receive thepresence signal and the power state signal from the information handlingsystem.
 4. The wireless power delivery system of claim 1 wherein thecontrol module is further configured to detect a change in an amount ofpower available to the information handling system, and to send anadjust signal to the information handling system indicating the changein the amount of power available to the information handling system. 5.The wireless power delivery system of claim 4 wherein the change in theamount of power available to the information handling system is based ona priority of the information handling system as compared to anotherinformation handling system in communication with the wireless powerdelivery system.
 6. The wireless power delivery system of claim 1wherein the presence signal includes a presence indication and a maximumpower requirement of the information handling system.
 7. The wirelesspower delivery system of claim 1 wherein the power state signal includesa power state of the information handling system.
 8. An informationhandling system comprising: a wireless charger to receive power from awireless charging pad based on a first power state of the informationhandling system, and to provide the power to the information handlingsystem; and a control module in communication with the wireless charger,the control module configured to detect a change in an operating mode ofthe information handling system, to determine a second power state forthe information handling system in response to the change in theoperating mode, and to provide the second power state to the wirelesscharging pad.
 9. The information handling system of claim 8 furthercomprising: another wireless charging pad to detect a presence of anadditional information handling system, to determine a third power statefor the additional information handling system, to provide power to theadditional information handling system based on the third power state,and to combine the third power state with the second power state todetermine a fourth power state of the information handling system,wherein the control module is further to provide the second power stateto the wireless charging pad.
 10. The information handling system ofclaim 8 further comprising: an antenna in communication with thewireless charger, the antenna to wirelessly receive the power from thewireless charging pad.
 11. The information handling system of claim 8further comprising: an information tag to transmit a presence signal tothe wireless charging pad, wherein the presence signal includes apresence indication.
 12. The information handling system of claim 11wherein the presence signal further includes a maximum power requirementof the information handling system.
 13. The information handling systemof claim 8 further comprising: an antenna in communication with thecontrol module, the antenna to transmit the power state to the wirelesscharging pad.
 14. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein thecontrol module is further configured to receive an adjust signal fromthe wireless charging pad indicating a change in an amount of poweravailable for the information handling system from the wireless chargingpad, and to change the operating mode of the information handling systemin response to the change in the amount of power available.
 15. Theinformation handling system of claim 8 wherein the signal includes apower state of the information handling system.
 16. A method comprising:receiving, at a wireless charging pad, a presence signal from aninformation handling system; setting an output power level for theinformation handling system based on the presence signal; transmittingpower at the output power level to the information handling system;receiving a power state signal indicating a power state change of theinformation handling system; adjusting the output power level based onthe power state signal; and transmitting the power at the adjustedoutput power level to the information handling system.
 17. The method ofclaim 16 further comprising: detecting a change in an amount of poweravailable for the information handling system; and sending an adjustmentsignal to the information handling system indicating the change in theamount of power available to the information handling system.
 18. Themethod of claim 17 wherein the change in the amount of power availableto the information handling system is based on a priority of theinformation handling system as compared to another information handlingsystem in communication with the wireless charging pad.
 19. The methodof claim 16 wherein the presence signal includes a presence indicationand a maximum power requirement of the information handling system. 20.The method of claim 16 further comprising: receiving the power from adirect current power source prior to setting the output power level forthe information handling system; and adjusting the power to the outputpower level based on the presence signal.